Automatic lubricator



Aug. 18, 1925.

C. C. FARMER ET AL AUTOMATIC LUBRICATOR Fild March 25, 1921 INVENTORS CLYDE QFARMER THOMAS HTHOMAQ Patented Aug, 1%,

UNlTEl) lrtTENT QFFICE.

CLYDE C. FARIVTER AND THOMAS H. THOIlEAS, 0F EDGEVJ'OOD, PENNSYLVANIA, AS- SIGNORS '30 THE WESTINGHOUSE AIR BRAKE CQMPANY, O'F WILMERDING, PENN- SYLVANIA, A CORPORATIGII 0F PEltlNaYLVANlAi AUTQM IG LUBiB IQ TQBe Application filed March 25, 1552.1.

To all whom it may concern: 7

Be it known that we, CLYDE C. FARMER and THOMAS H. Trionas, citizens of the United States, residents of Edgewood, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have jointly invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Lubricators, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to lubricators, and more particularly to an automatic lubricator for fluid compressors.

The principal object of our invention is to provide an improved automatic lubricator of the type shown in Patent No. 1,337,687 of G. L. Bubb, dated April 20, 1920.

In the accompanying drawing, the single figure is a central vertical section of a lubricator embodying our improvements.

As shown in the drawing, the lubricator may comprise a casing or oil cup 1 adapted to be connected by a pipe 2 with the air cylinder of a fluid compressor.

lVithin the casing 1 is a chamber 3 containing the lubricant and in the neck portion of the cup is a threaded socket for receiving the threaded end of a cylindrical plug t. Mounted on the plug 4 is a sleeve 5 having its lower end resting on a preferably machined face 6 of the casing 1 and having notches 7 to permit flow of lubricant from the oil chamber 3 to the annular capillary feed passage 8.

A port 9 connects the feed passage 8 with a central passage 10 in the plug 4, through which the lubricant is supplied to the compressor.

In order to maintain the sleeve 5 concentrio with respect to the plug 1} and thus prevent the possible sealing of the port 9 by the engagement of the inner wall of the sleeve with the face of the plug 4, the feed passage 8 is provided by recessing the plug to a certain height, the remaining extent of the sleeve being adapted to neatly fit the plug, so as to provide a guide for preventing any eccentric movement of the sleeve.

The upper end of the plug 4 is of enlarged diameter, so as to provide a shoulder 11 for the purpose of preventing the possible careless removal of the sleeve 5, when the lubricator is in use.

A cap 12 is screwed into a filling opening at the top of the oil cup and has a central Serial No. 455,603.

recess 13 for receiving the upper end of the plug l.

In order to prevent possible blowing of air and oil when the cap 12 is removed for filling wiile the compressor is running, a valve 1 lprovided, subject to the pressure of a spring 15, and having a stem 16 which extends through the passage 10 and is engageable by the cap 12 when the cap is screwed home.

Near the top of the plug l, the passage 10 is reduced in diameter so as to provide a snug fit for the stem 16 and thus guide the same.

An opening 17 is provided through the wall of the cap 12 near the top, so that when the cap is slightly unscrewed any pressure of air in the chamber 3 will be vented and consequently when the cap is removed there will be no danger of oil and air blowing out of the exposed oil filling opening of the cup.

Openings 18 extend from the passage 10 to the chamber 3 for permitting the equalization of pressure fluid, on the compression stroke of the compressor, into the space above the oil in the chamber 3.

When the cup has been filled with oil and the cap 12 screwed home, the stem 16 is pushed down by the cap, so as to hold the valve 14 oh its seat and thus permit the flow of lubricant from the oil cup to the com pressor. Upon removing the cap, the stem 16 is free to move and the spring 15 seats the valve 14 so that air pressure from the compressor cannot blow out while the oil cup is being filled with oil.

In operation, oil from the chamber 3 flows through the notches 7 to the annular feed passage 8 and then rises in said passage through capillary attraction so that oil is supplied to the port 9 and thence flows to the passage 10, from which the lubricant passes down past the valve 14 to the fluid compressor for lubricating the same.

Having now described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a lubricator, the combination with a lubricant holding cup, of an annular plug mounted in said cup and having a passage through which lubricant is supplied, a sleeve mounted on and snugly fitting said plug at one portion of the sleeve and spaced from the plug at another portion of the sleeve to trolling communication through said pas- 10 sage, a valve stem connected to said valve and extending through said passage, and ports in said plug leading from said passa e to said chamber.

In testimony whereof We have hereunto 15 set our hands.

CLYDE C. FARMER. THOMAS H. THOMAS. 

